SVSU announces lectures, performances, exhibits for fall 2026

August 25, 2026

SVSU announces lectures, performances, exhibits for fall 2026

Saginaw Valley State University will host a wide variety of public lectures, performances and exhibits during the 2026-2027 academic year, many of which are free and open to the public.

Public Lectures

SVSU brings to campus and the region a variety of speakers addressing topics like history, science, culture and the arts. All lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures during the fall 2026 semester include:

• Thomas and Hilda Rush Distinguished Lectureship: Thursday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m., Rhea Miller Recital Hall - Marcia Ditmyer, SVSU professor of public health, will present "From Dormancy to Delivery: Trust, Growth and the Alignment of Systems."
• Dow Visiting Scholar: Monday, Oct. 5, 1 p.m., Roberta Allen Reading Room in SVSU's Zahnow Library - Daniel Wirls, professor of political science at UC Santa Cruz, will present "Nuclear Weapons, the Constitution, and Presidential Power."
• Wickson-Nickless Distinguished Lectureship in Business: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m., Rhea Miller Recital Hall - "tech humanist" Kate O'Neill will present "AI Analytics and the Human."
• Dow Visiting Scholar: Thursday, Oct. 15, 6:30 p.m., Wirt Public Library, Bay City - John Mauk, fiction writer and scholar, will offer a lecture and reading. Co-sponsored by the Bay County Library system.
• Raana Akbar Memorial Lecture on Islam & Culture: Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m., Ott Auditorium (Gilbertson Hall) - Feryal Salem, associate professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, American Islamic College, will speak on "The Art of the Soul: Islamic Architecture, Beauty and Spiritual Formation in Islamic Civilization."

Musical Performances

Each year, SVSU hosts a variety of musical artists, including those invited through the popular Rhea Miller Concert Series. These concerts feature outstanding performances by nationally and internationally acclaimed musical artists. These concerts are free and open to the public thanks to a generous gift from Rhea E. Miller, a longtime friend of the University.

For more information on the Rhea Miller Concert Series and other performances presented by the SVSU Department of Music, visit svsu.edu/musicdepartment.

• Rhea Miller Concert Series presents Gracie Potter, trombone: Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., Rhea Miller Recital Hall. Potter is the principal trombonist at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has performed with Orchestras across the United States and in London.
• SVSU Choirs present ICONS: A Pop/Rock Tribute: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m., Malcolm Field Theatre for the Performing Arts.
• Rhea Miller Concert series presents José Ramón Méndez, Piano: Friday, Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m., Rhea Miller Recital Hall. Hailed as one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of today, Mendéz has held faculty positions at institutions throughout the United States and currently serves as associate professor of piano at Oberlin College and Conservatory.
• SVSU Choirs present a Holiday Gala: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m. Rhea Miller Recital Hall.

Theatrical Performances

The SVSU Department of Theatre will present three live productions in the fall 2026 semester:

• "What the Constitution Means to Me" by Heidi Schreck: Wednesday, Sept. 30-Saturday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4, 3:00 p.m., Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts -Playwright Heidi Schreck resurrects her teenage self in order to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. Directed by Tommy Wedge, associate professor of theatre.
• "A Trip to the Moon" by Tracy Wells: Wednesday, Oct. 18-Friday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 17, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 18, 3 p.m., SVSU Black Box Theatre (Curtiss Hall 180) - Set in the summer of 1969, around the time of the moon landing, this vignette-style play is composed of eight scenes, each named after an iconic song from 1969.
• "No Exit" by Jean Paul Sartre: Wednesday, Nov. 18-Saturday, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, 3 p.m., Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts - Two women and one man are locked up together for eternity in one hideous room in hell, subjected to the shame of having all sins exposed.

All tickets can be purchased online or at the Box Office for $15 each; there is no charge for SVSU students. For more information, visit svsu.edu/theatre/showschedule/.

University Art Gallery Exhibitions

Exhibitions and receptions are held in the University Art Gallery/Arbury Fine Arts Center. For more information, visit svsu.edu/artgallery.

• "Three Years Later …," Shaun Bangert: Aug. 24-Sept. 19 - Bangert's photographic and installation work explores questions of identity and perceived realities after trauma. Reception: Thursday, Sept. 10. 6, 4-6 p.m.
• "Rabbit Weaving: Complex Threads of Making," Kristy Deetz: Sept. 28-Oct. 22 -This interdisciplinary traveling exhibition features industrial jacquard weavings based on Kristy Deetz' "Through the Veil" and "Holidays Unfolding" painting series. Closing reception: Thursday, Oct. 22, 4-6 p.m.
• "Alienation and Desire: A Lexicon of Looking," Mille Guldbeck: Nov. 2-Nov. 19 - Guldbeck's work explores, through observation and contemplation, the dichotomies of the experience of nature for the artist as maker opposed to the perceptions of nature by the viewer. Closing reception: Thursday, Nov.19, 4-6 p.m., with a lecture at 3 p.m.
• Fall BFA Exhibition: Nov. 30-Dec. 12 - Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates present capstone projects in graphic design, sculpture and painting. Reception: Thursday, Dec. 10, 4-6 p.m.

For more information about upcoming events at SVSU, visit svsu.edu/calendar.